Device for spooling and stretching fence-wires



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. HANKEL'. DEVICE FOR SPOOLING AND STRETGHING FENCE WIRES.

No. 472,047. I Patented Apr. 5-, 1892.

(No Model.)

. A HANKEL DEVICE FOR SPOOLING AND STRETCHING FENCE WIRES.

No. 472,047. Patented Apr. 5,1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST HANKEL, OF HAMPTON, NEBRASKA.

DEVICE FOR SPOOLING AND STRETCHING FENCE-WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,047, dated April 5, 1892 Application filed November 5, 1891. Serial No. 410,953. (No model.)

'by declare the, following to be a'full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for spooling and stret hing fence-wire in building fences.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and effective device for carrying the wire, paying it out, and stretching the same between the posts; and it consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aside elevation showing my improvement applied as a wire-stretcher. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the device used either for winding the wire upon the spool or paying it out in the construction of a fence.

A refers to the end or corner post of a fence against which the machine is adapted to abut in the operation of stretching the wire.

The frame of the machine consists of the diverging base-pieces B B, which are provided at their front or meeting ends with a casterwheel a and at their rear ends with bearings which support the axle carrying the supporting-wheels a a. Near the front ends of the basepieces are secured inclined pieces B, which brace the superstructure and terminate in handles, as shown.

C 0 refer to uprights, which are rigidly secured to the base-pieces B B and braced by the inclined pieces or handles B and by suitable cross-braces, as shown. These uprights have bearings c c secured thereto, in which the shaft of the spool is supported, each of said bearings being made in two sections, the

upper one of which is adjustable by means of a slot and thumb-screw, so that said spool tied of the wire'can be readily'removed and others substituted. The clamp d engages with one end of I thespool and causes the same to turn with the shaft. The shaft is provided with a crank-handle at one end for turning the same.

To the base-pieces B B is secured a trans- .verse plate E, to which is pivoted a bar e,hav-

ing an eye at its upper end with a pulley A therein, through which the wire passes from the spool. Atasuitable point above the pivot of this bar is attached a link 6, the otherend of which is attached to one side of the center of the gear-wheel f, mounted onthe plate E. A screw or worm engages with the teeth of the gear-wheel and is driven by a pulley mounted on one end thereof, said pulley being connected by a belt or chain to a'pulley secured to the hub of one of the drivingwheels. It will be noted that by this construction the bar 6 swings upon its pivot, so as to guide the wire from one end of the spool to the other when the device is used for spooling fence-wire in removing the same from the fence. The'wire passes through a guideway or tube G, located at the front end of the machine.

The device thus far described in itself forms a cheap, effective, and convenient means for spooling the wire when removing it from the fence or paying it out in the construction of the fence.

The front end of the base-frame is provided with a forwardly-projecting plate H, having a forked end, back of which is an aperture to provide a convenient hand-grasp.

Near the upper ends of the standards are pivotally secured in'straps or brackets 2' converging bars I, which are rigidly connected at their meeting ends by a plate 1;, the forward end of which is forked, as shown. By pivoting these bars as shown they can be swung to brace the upper part of the frame and are adapted to engage the post should the upper portion thereof be out of vertical line. The straps or brackets 1' are rigidly secured to the standards and are provided at their rear ends with screw-threaded apertures for the reception of thumb-screws, which are adapted to bear against the side pieces which carry the wire-stretcher. These side pieces K K are vertically adjustable by means of the thumb'screws 7t and are connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar 7c. Brackets m m are secured to these side pieces, between the projecting ends of which the lever M of the wire-stretcher is pivoted, the lower end of said leverbeing bifurcated to receive a double ratchet-bar N, above and below which springactuated pawls n are pivoted to engage with the ratchet-teeth when the lever is operated.

The ratchet-bar is provided with a suitable cam or clamp for grasping the wire, and by properly rocking the lever the pawls or dogs will work automatically to draw upon the bar and stretch the wire. Before stretching the wire the machine should be placed against the post, so that the forked plates II and e" will embrace said post, as shown-in Fig. 1. The fall of the brace-bars I I is limited'by the arms t which project from the vertical standards.

The wire-stretching device just described, though inten ded for this purpose, can also be used for removing fence-posts, and in order to use the device for this purpose it is only necessary to swing the ratchet-bar N to a vertical position and then make the post fast to the lower end of the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fence-wiring device, a supportingframe provided at its front end with a guide and near its rear portion with a reel, an intermediate inclined support E, having pivoted thereto an oscillating bar e, the free end of said bar extending above the support, and a link connecting said bar with a toothed wheel,

substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a supporting-frame, the base'board I thereof having a forwardlyprojecting forked plate II, converging bars I I, carrying at their forward ends a similarlycoustrncted forked plate, the rear ends of said bars being pivotally connected to the vertical bars on the main frame, arms t carried by the vertical bars 0 and adapted to maintain the converging bars I in an inclined position, and a wire-stretcher carried by the frame, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a wire-reel, the combination of a base carrying uprights O C, bars K K, adjustably connected to said uprights, and brackets rigidly connected to the bars K K, said brackets supporting a wire-stretching device, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a reel-carrying device, the combination of a base mounted on wheels, vertical uprights 0 C, converging bars I I, pivoted thereto, a vertically-adjustable frame carrying a Wire-stretcher, and forks connected to the forward ends of the bars I and base of the frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fence-wiring device mounted upon supporting-wheels, the combination of amain frame having uprights and means for bracing the same against a post, a frame vertically adjustable upon the uprights and carrying converging brackets, between which is pivotally secured a lever, and a wire-stretching device supported and operated by said lever, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST H AN KEL. \Vitnesses:

PETER VON IIoUsnN, AUGUST Znrnorr. 

